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Dragon and Space Combat Academy
The Dragon and Space Combat University, or DRASC, is the primary public academy where COG soldiers are trained. While the primary function of the academy is housing dragon pilots, it also offers a range of other majors. Non-pilot majors can enroll normally after completing high school. Pilots COG dragons are either cloned or bred from existing dragons. Their eggs are shipped either to DRASC or one of the smaller private academies, and they are assigned a human pilot as soon as they hatch. Human pilots join the academy as soon as they can walk and talk, sometimes as young as 2 years old, but usually around 6 to 7 years old. They are then formally adopted by the state, and they spend their entire lives growing up at DRASC. They spend almost all of their time with their dragon, learning the art of war and preparing for battle in space. Most pilots see their first deployment in-atmosphere when they're 16, and their first out-of-atmosphere deployment at 18. They usually do not travel to another planet until they've had many more years of combat, often waiting until mid to late twenties. The bond between a pilot and their dragon is very strong, and by the time the pilot is a teenager they are completely inseperable. Even if they disagree with COG's politics, COG dragons refuse to desert because that would mean leaving their pilot behind. Most COG dragons, however, agree with COG's poiltics due to the heavy propaganda carried out throughout their education. Selection Process COG's selection process for new pilots has often been critisized as "eugenics", as they do a full geneological work-up of both parents and their child as part of the selection process. The children take a mutlitude of tests designed to guage their loyalty to COG, their IQ, their problem solving abilities, and their obedience. While these tests are designed to be as impartial as possible, COG has faced some backlash from giving preferential treatment to children of powerful couples. The draft does not apply to pilots, as COG wants only the best and brightest children piloting their dragons. It does, however, apply to other majors available at the academy. Other Majors While training pilots is the main function of DRASC, there are a multitude of other majors available for students who want to enlist in COG's space army but were not lucky enough to be picked as a pilot. Weapons Training Weapons training is a large major with a multitude of different concentrations, but it generally focuses on teaching students to fire weapons from the back of a dragon in-atmosphere. All students get an introductory course in every type of gun in use, but they will spend more time on different weapons depending on their concentration. Sniper Concentration - "Marksman" Students with this concentration learn the art of shooting long distances from the back of a moving dragon. One of the most difficult majors, it requires an incredibly steady hand and has a high failure rate. Explosives Concentration - "Bomber" Students are taught to use rocket launchers, grenades, and bombs from the back of a dragon. Entanglement Concentration - "Spider" Students learn to use harpoons, nets, and other traps to bring down enemy dragons. Interpersonal Weapons Concentration - "Fighter" Students learn to use weapons with a shorter range against other enemy dragon riders. General Studies Students without a concentration learn a bit about all of the different weapons types, and can choose to specialize at a later time, if they so choose. Dragon Medic Dragons also take damage on the field, and when their wounds aren't fatal they usually require immediate treatment. Students with this major will learn a substantial amount about dragon biology and the current methods for both field dressing and hospitalizing dragons. Dragon Biology Dragon biology is a non-combat major, and students taking the major generally go to work at one of COG's cloning labs or breeding centers. They also assist dragon medics in creating new treatments for injuries. Cartographer One of the few non-combat majors, cartographers map space and help their pilot with navigating between planets. They keep track of planets and their orbits, and know the best time of year to jump between planets. Weapon Engineer Students with this major learn to create and design new weapons that can pierce the thick hide of dragons, as well as operate in atmosphere and OOA. Tactician Students with this major will learn the behavior of their enemies, the way dragons move, and how previous battles have been conducted, among a multitude of other things. These students generally are not assigned to work aboard a dragon, but rather in a city seeing heavy combat. Graduate Level Majors All of the above majors have graduate versions, but some majors are only available to graduate level students. Officer Studies Students intending to become officers or high ranking officials within COG's army are generally chosen from these majors. The courses are designed to build upon whichever major the student took in undergrad, as well as build in necessary authortarial skills.